Tag: Life Lessons

While we were off roading in Harlan, Ky this weekend we met some very interesting other people on the trails.

It was interesting to see how their beliefs about what they were capable of effected their results.

On the Mason Jar trail we met three different groups. The first group we encountered had very nicely built rigs. They all had bead lock wheels and very large tires. They all had exo cages and big axles. We expected them to easily run up the trail that we had run before in our XJs.

However, they seemed to have lots of trouble. The first rig had an electrical failure before the first rock. The second one had a bit of trouble getting over the first few rock in the entrance but came to complete stop at the second set of rocks. We waited a long time to see how he got over. He was pulling winch line when we left but it did not seem like he was going to get over even with the winch.

We left to try again the next morning.

Based on what I saw there, I was a little worried about whether we could make it at all. But I was committed to giving it my best shot.

Adam and Neal made it in just fine and after some work at finding the right line made it over the second set of rocks just fine. See the video of Neal here.

After seeing the XJs make it over, I once again believed I could do it also. I knew that I had expert spotting and caching from my friends. I also knew if all else failed, I had my winch.

With a little spotting from Jim, I made the first rock easily even using what Jim called “a less than optimum line.”

When I got to the second set of rocks that had stopped the buggy on 37 inch tires and bead locks, I trusted my spotters and after some maneuvering to get properly lined up, I was able to hope my Jeep right up on the rocks. My 33″ Buckshots scrambled for traction and then pulled the back of my Jeep right up the rock. Then I scooted up the muddy hill afterwards. My belief in my abilities grew quite a but after that climb.

Another group that we met along the trail really impressed me. I don’t really know the best term to describe them. Lets just call them old codgers. These two Wranglers were piloted by some guys with some miles on them. One of them seemed to be a bit hard of hearing because when Neal told him he could go around us he laughed and said he though we called him a “gourd head.” They were each accompanied by a female of similar vintage in the passenger seat.

What struck me was that they were sprinting up and down the rock as fast as the youngest and fittest of our group. They certainly had not limiting beliefs about their age.

When it came time to watch them drive their their rigs, they really impressed me. They had no doubt at all that they could make the climb. They obviously had years of experience and made the climb look easy.

They certainly were not ready for a rocking chair in a retirement home. They were playing and having a great time. I hope to be doing that when I get their age.

Charles Filmore suggested that the way to stay young was to stop thinking old thoughts. I did not see any evidence of old thoughts among that group.

Many times we limit our progress due to our beliefs. Today I am working on a proposal for a client that at fist I did not see anyway I could do. But after thinking about this weekend off road, I decided to think differently. I have emailed the client to see if there are options that will make it possible for me to fulfil his specs with the resources I have at hand.

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned from the sport of off road driving is teamwork. I have seen many examples of how people working together can accomplish so much more than people competing.

I did not see much if any teamwork in the sport of autocross racing. I guess there is a very good reason why SCCA calls their series Solo racing. It was very much a every man for himself sport. My competitors were very secretive about what tire pressures worked for them and I even heard them give false and misleading information to beginners.

Road rally taught me a little more about team work. There was the interrelationship between the driver and co driver that was critical to the success of a rally team. My navigator, Jeff Ballinger was fantastic at dong the math and complex mental gymnastics necessary to keep us on time and recover from my inevitable mistakes. We worked very well together as evidenced by the trophies in my collection.

Where the teamwork concept failed in Road rally was in the cut throat competition between teams. Often Jeff and I would win a rally on the road and then loose the rally in claims after the event. I saw many teams use complex arguments that were not beneficial to the sport just to win a single event. They caused complex rules to be written and pushed a lot of fun out of the sport for Jeff and me. I suspect the drop in participation in the sport overall may be the result of this win at all cost mentality.

RallyCross and Rally racing taught me a bit more about team work. There seemed to be more a spirit of friendly competition in the events I attended. In the service areas, competing teams shared tools and parts with one another. They swapped driving and navigation tips openly. There was still a spirit of fierce competition, but the winners really only wanted to beat the people who were running at their best. Beating a team with a broken car did not mean as much as winning when the competitor was at his best too.

The sport of off road driving has been a very different experience for me. First of all, it is not competitive. There are no points or trophies, just bragging rights for who got over the rocks. There is a group spirit that wants every one to succeed.

The first thing I observed when I met the group that I go with on the side of a trail at Windrock was the way every one pitched in to help someone fix an electrical problem with his Jeep. Every one there offered tools, advice and spare parts to assist in getting him back on the trail.

Later that day when some one rolled his Jeep, again the group worked together to quickly and safely recover his Jeep from a precarious situation. Back at camp the mood was the same as every one pitched in to make the dinner and campfire circle as pleasant as possible for every one. Including me who they had just met.

On one trail in Ky, there was no real safe way for us to enter the trail. Maybe one or two of our vehicles were capable of climbing the big rock at the entrance, but most were not. Working together we developed a plan to use straps to stabilize the vehicles on an off camber bypass. Each driver had to trust the group and his spotter to keep his truck balanced on the tricky maneuver. Thanks to excellent teamwork, everyone made it onto the trail safely and got to enjoy the trip.

Sadly not everyone who has attended these trips has been a team player. However, when a disruptive element has been introduced, the group leaders have taken action to ensure that those who do not play well with others are not invited back. Such action protects the integrity of the group and makes it more fun for every one.

While the group I normally wheel with has become very close through the years I have observed that compete strangers often work together for the good of all when off road. On one recent trip we met some people who were entering the woods at the same time as us. We banded together. As the day progressed our group grew from four trucks to six or eight as we exited the woods in the dark. We all worked together to tug, winch, spot and guide each other through the challenging conditions.

I have learned far more about teamwork and building a strong working relationship with others from off roading than I ever have in any of the corporate teamwork classes I have attended. Off road, people quickly adapt to the challenge of getting every one through the obstacles. They share resources and skills to make sure every one is successful. Business could learn a lot by taking their work teams off road.

If your business or volunteer organization could benefit by working better together, let me talk to them. I will be happy to share what I have learned off the road to help you improve your organization.

Search for:

If you find the information on this website helpful, please consider making a donation of any amount. Thank you for your support.